August 18, 2014

First DART train rolls into DFW Airport

A new era of regional connectivity kicked off Monday when Dallas Area Rapid Transit officially launched its light-rail service to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.

The DART trains, with their signature orange paint scheme, began arriving at 3:50 a.m. Monday and continued with three to four arrivals hourly throughout the day.

Each train carried a smattering of riders, including airport employees, travelers and even a few curiosity seekers.

“It was very comfortable, and there weren’t too many people on board,” said Kelly McDuffie, who works at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles and was returning home after visiting Dallas over the weekend.

About 1,200 riders per day are expected to use DART’s Orange Line to DFW, DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said. The Orange Line offers service to Irving’s Las Colinas area, downtown Dallas, Southern Methodist University and Plano.

Riders may also transfer to any of DART’s other passenger lines at various points, providing travelers at DFW Airporrt essentially a connection to the entire 90-mile-plus rail system in the Metroplex.